Interviewer who sought sexual favours sacked, but why he was let off after arrest remains unanswered

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh government employee Sanjeev Tantuve, who was arrested for allegedly demanding ‘sexual favours’ from the women candidates for selecting them for jobs in the Seed Development Corporation, was removed from his post on Tuesday.

It came a day after he was arrested in Bhopal and taken to Gwalior for further investigation in the matter. An official notification regarding this was issued on Tuesday.

A senior police official talking to IANS over the phone said they were trying to find out if any other person or senior official of the state government was involved in the matter. The police are also trying to ascertain if this was the first time that Sanjeev tried to force the women job aspirants or he had been doing so earlier also. “We are trying to find if the accused was alone in his plan or someone else was also part of it. Since, he has been interviewing candidates for the last few years, a detailed investigation will be undertaken in the matter,” the official said.

Sanjeev, who was posted as production assistant in the Seed Development Corporation in Bhopal, had often been visiting different parts of the state as an interviewer. On January 3, he had gone to Gwalior for interviews when he allegedly demanded sexual favours from three girls.

The one important question that remains unanswered is why the accused, who was arrested on January 10, was let off by the police after formal interrogation. The complaint was filed on January 8 at a police station in Gwalior and the accused was arrested on January 10. The complainant has said that Sanjeev, who had come from Bhopal, interviewed her in Gwalior. A few hours later, he called her and sent a WhatsApp message, saying that “I can get you selected, but what will I get in return?” The accused sought to spend a night with the girls and asked them to reply ‘Yes or no’.

Crime Branch Deputy Superintendent of Police Siyaz KM said that the interviews were held at the Agricultural University on January 3. Several girl students, including the victim, had been interviewed. Sanjeev Kumar was also part of the interview panel. During the interview, Kumar was accused of obscene acts with the girls on WhatsApp and demanding a physical relationship.

On the complaint of the victim, the Crime Branch registered a case against the accused under Section 354A. The accused also sent the same message to two other students. Before deleting the message, a student took a screenshot of it, which has been made available to the Crime Branch.

–IANS